Join the Kwanzaa Celebration on Dec. 17

The West Contra Costa Unified School District’s Office of African American Student Achievement (OAASA) is proud to announce that its Mafanikio Academic Coaching Programs will host its first virtual Kwanzaa Celebration on Facebook Live at 6 p.m. on December 17, 2020.

Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture, which contribute to building and reinforcing family, community and culture among African American people and Africans throughout the world.

The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanzaa”, which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, and celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers and a child lights one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder), then one of the seven principles is discussed. The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili) are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans. Kwanzaa also has seven basic symbols, which represent values and concepts reflective of African culture. An African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December 31.

All seven Mafanikio school sites (Grant Elementary, Hercules Middle, King Elementary, Mira Vista K-8, Nystrom Elementary, Olinda Elementary and Sheldon Elementary) will participate. Students and staff will light the Kinara candles and share the principles and symbols of Kwanzaa. The Council of Elders will acknowledge our ancestors with a libation ceremony and selective student performances will be shared.

This celebration promises to be informative and entertaining.

Take the Superintendent Search Survey 

The West Contra Costa Unified School District is in search of the next superintendent of schools to begin their tenure on July 1, 2021. Our communications department has asked us to share the Superintendent Search Survey with the community. Please provide your input on this very important decision for your child’s education and our community. The deadline to complete the survey is December 10.

English Survey (bit.ly/suptsurveyenglish) | Spanish Survey (bit.ly/suptsearchspnsh)

Apply to Middle College High School 

Families, do you want your child to take college classes for free while they're in high school? Do you want them to have the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and a college AA degree at the same time? If so, then here is an opportunity for your child who will be in 9th grade for the 2021-22 school year.

Middle College High School (MCHS) at Contra Costa College (CCC) is a highly rigorous academic program structured to provide successful, challenging, and meaningful experiences for students. MCHS is an Early College High School program. The purpose of MCHS, in collaboration with CCC, is to create a nurturing and academically challenging environment for traditionally underserved students to reach their full potential in a non-traditional high school setting.

To get ready for the application process, have your child:

1. Begin to write an autobiographical letter about themselves. 

2. List out accomplishments, extra-curricular activities, and accomplishments they have had.

3. Describe any special skills, foreign language, church/volunteer activities.

Reach out to your child’s middle school counselor for more information. The application process should be out in January. Flyer here.

Saint Mary's College Performing Arts Scholarship for Black Students 

Saint Mary’s College is pleased to announce their newest endowed scholarship:

The East Bay Performing Arts Scholarship for Black Students or Students of African Descent

This is a full cost-of-attendance endowed scholarship, and students are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Admitted to Saint Mary's for Fall 2021 as a first-year student

• Intent to major or minor in the performing arts

• Current resident of Alameda or Contra Costa County

• Identify as Black or of African descent

The deadline to apply for admission is January 15 and the deadline to submit the Performing Arts scholarship audition application is January 8.

Black Lives Matter Launches Letter Campaign for Postal Workers and Families

#BlackLivesMatter was started by three African-American women (Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi) in response to the acquittal of the murder of Travon Martin. Six years later, Black Lives Matter is a global movement that addresses the systematic, intentional targeted demise of black lives.

While looking on the Black Lives Matter website, I saw that they are running a letter campaign. This campaign is encouraging parents to write love letters to their children. The campaign is in support of the legacy of Black postal workers and the fight against defunding the post office.

This campaign is completely up my ally. I love all kinds of stationary. I have lots and lots of cool paper, journals, pens and markers. I love to buy my stationary and planners from Japan and other places. I became very interested in letter writing last year. I wanted to try and have a pen pal. I also love to collect postcards and send them to my friends and family. 

Connection with our friends and family is so important! Self-isolation for long periods of time can be hard on your mental and spiritual health. Writing letters to your children, loved ones and friends helps bring us closer but also supports the over 50 percent of black postal workers working for USPS.

If you would like to learn more about Black Lives Matter or the letter writing campaign, please check out the links below:

#BlackLivesMatter
#Blackloveletters Article

If you want to find a pen pal after writing to your loved ones, here are some resources for that:

Pen Pals for Adults
Pen Pals for Kids

Submitted by: Cicely Day

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Scholarship Opportunity for High School Seniors

The Xi Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will  award scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 to outstanding African American high school seniors. The scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement and financial need. Last year the chapter was able to award 21 scholarships to deserving high school scholars, several of whom attended schools in WCCUSD.

Founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC in 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-trained women. The mission of the Xi Gamma Omega Chapter is to enhance the quality of life in the Bay Area community through our service programs.

We invite eligible high school seniors to submit applications, which are due on January 29, 2021. The application is available on the Xi Gamma Omega website at www.xigammaomega.com, or please contact the high school counselors at your school. If you have questions or need information, please feel free to contact Xi Gamma Omega Scholarship Committee Co-chairs Ora Anderson at 510.507.5503 or Tonya Jones Allred at 510.734.7875.

We look forward to a robust group of applicants from WCCUSD!

Let's Talk: Attendance

Success starts with attendance! Having the best teachers or the most culturally relevant curriculum means nothing unless you have students who are present to receive it.

When a child misses too much school, it is called Chronic Absenteeism. Experts have narrowed down the definition of chronic absenteeism and defined it as a student who misses 10 percent or more of the school year. This 10 percent or more is an accumulation of disciplinary actions (ex. suspensions), unexcused absences, and excused absences. Believe it or not, a student can fall into the category of being chronically absent by missing one day of school a week. Better yet, if a student misses two days of school a month, they would eventually fall into the category of being chronically absent. 

The principle is this: students cannot learn unless they are at school. It can be challenging to learn new subjects, but it is even more difficult to play catch up while learning new concepts and practices. Also, let's not forget that our students may have multiple classes, which adds another level of difficulty. 

There are various reasons why a student misses class. Data shows that the number one reason that a student may choose not to come to school is bullying. Bullying is a silent enemy that poisons our school climates. It gives a message to our students that they are not welcome or safe at our schools. The dynamics of bullying can happen on all levels-- staff to student or student to student--but the results are all the same.

As we work on getting our students to school (whether online or in-person), it would behoove us to start by asking questions to figure out why our students don't want to go to school? Once we discover and address the motives behind our students not attending school, then we can support changing the behavior. 

Here are some articles you may find interesting about attendance:

School Attendance, Truancy & Chronic Absenteeism: What Parents Need to Know
Chronic Absenteeism: What You Need to Know

Submitted by: John Cable

Kennedy Family of Schools Educators digging in Problem of Practice 

After Zooming all day, the Kennedy Family of School’s educators continue to work. They, under the support of Partners in School Innovation, participate in a series of meetings. This cohort of professionals work in a “Problem of Practice” or PoP, and discuss a variety of items in the name of bettering education for students. In particular, they discuss race and equity, and a couple of the schools in the PoP are focusing on their Black student population as a way to identify needs, concerns, and trends, in order to increase the positive academic achievement of their Black students.

During these sessions, they focus on these norms:

• Keep students at the center
• Stay engaged in the dialogue and work
• Listen actively and stretch your thinking

Advocating for African-American Students

To address the ever-widening achievement gap of our African American students within the West Contra Costa Unified School District, we will need the full support of the community to effectively advocate for academic success for our Kings and Queens.

I would love to share with all of you a fascinating article written by three leading educators on Addressing the African American Achievement Gap. Here is a link to the full article and below I have added key points from each educator that I want you to consider. Enjoy!

Understanding the role of culture in development is important. My first jobs exposed me to people who saw the world differently than I. The more I learned about why they held their beliefs, the more I understood. Today, I ask my [teacher education] students to think about their own cultures and life experiences as the first step in understanding and relating to the children and families they will encounter in the field.

--Barbara T. Bowman

My mother, who had less than two years of formal education, once asked me what I do for a living. I told her I try to incorporate a rich diversity of experiences for kids into educational settings. She said, “Why that’s just common sense! They pay you for that?” Common sense, and still it’s an uncommon practice among many.

--James P. Comer

We must acknowledge the broader diversity in and of the African American experience and celebrate that all Black children are born geniuses. Black students continue to pursue educational excellence despite the many unnecessary obstacles they face due to constructions and perceptions of race, class, gender, and sexual orientations in America.

--David J. Johns

Submitted by: Andre Shumake, Sr.